When it is desired to mount an electrical contact on a printed circuit, it is advantageous to use a contact of the insertion force type and is similar to that shown in accompanying FIG. 1. Such a contact 10 comprises a fixing portion 14 and a portion 12 forming a contact terminal. The fixing portion 14 is pushed into a plated through hole 16 of the printed circuit 18 in which the contact 10 is to be connected. To enable the electrical contact to be fixed mechanically and also to provide an electrical connection between the contact proper and the metal plating of the hole 16, the portion 14 is shaped like the eye of a needle. The portion 14 has a curved side surface 20 and said portion 14 also has a transverse hole 22 in the form of an ellipse or similar. The hole 22 thus defines two arms 24 and 26 which extend between the free end 28 of the portion 14 and its end 30 where it connects to the portion 12 forming the contact terminal. The arms 24 and 26 are relatively thin and suitable for being mechanically deformed when the portion 14 is inserted in the plated hole 16. This provides not only electrical connection but also mechanical connection between the electrical contact 12 and the printed circuit 18. Such a solution serves in particular to avoid any need to solder the contact to the printed circuit.
Known techniques for making such electrical contacts of the insertion force type are relatively expensive. They consist in obtaining the general shape of the portion 14 from an initial rolled metal strip of bronze or the like, with the strip then being passed into a special tool that makes, in particular, both the orifice 22 and the outside shape of the portion 14. Such tools are relatively expensive compared with the part that is to be made, and in addition it is necessary to have a particular tool for each size and position of the fixing portion 14 on the contact 12, and thus for each diameter of plated hole 16.